


The Reputation of Lovers: All's Fair in Love and War

by bram101_princessladybug



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Enemies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dating, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Loves Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Villain Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28379172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bram101_princessladybug/pseuds/bram101_princessladybug
Summary: Adrien and Marinette had been dating for three months.But there was just one issue. One very secret issue that was slowly permeating every aspect of their lives and eroding the foundations of their relationship.The issue presented itself again on a nonspecific Monday night.“Ladybug, Paris’s favorite hero. So lovely to see you tonight.”“Chat Noir.” Ladybug frowned. “Paris’s second favorite supervillain.”All shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Plagg & Tikki, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tom Dupain
Comments: 45
Kudos: 167





	1. Bad Blood: Us Against the World

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is a random idea I had for an enemies but dating AU. I took inspiration from a lot of different fics and comics, especially a couple of edendaphne's, but this is my own rendition. Hope you enjoy! Characters are aged-up to around 17 or 18.  
> As always, please comment with suggestions/thoughts/opinions down below; your comments make my day!

##  Bad Blood: Us Against the World 

Adrien and Marinette had been dating for three months. Marinette loved to kiss him, Adrien loved to pick her up and spin her around, and everyone loved to tease them. They were inseparable. Love was a pit that had swallowed them whole, and they were more than happy to drown in its murky depths. 

He took her to fashion shows and connected her with fashion moguls. She took him home and fed him croissants. Her parents loved him. His father was, at best, indifferent. Life was good. 

But there was just one issue. One very secret issue that was slowly permeating every aspect of their lives and eroding the foundations of their relationship. 

The issue presented itself again on a nonspecific Monday night. 

“Ladybug, Paris’s favorite hero. So lovely to see you tonight.” 

“Chat Noir.” Ladybug frowned. “Paris’s second favorite supervillain.” 

Chat spun his staff. “Aw, you remember me! Been missing my cat eyes lately, my lovely little Lady?” 

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m no Lady of yours. And your villainy is rather hard to forget.”

So the battle began. Ladybug with her yo-yo, Chat Noir with his staff. Ladybug with creation, Chat Noir with destruction. Chat with the punny quips, Ladybug with the scathing retorts. 

“Afraid of a little icy temperature from our lovely Ice Queen, even when you’ve been so cold to me? Feeling a bit of a chill instead of a thrill for this battle, my Lady?” Chat taunted, arching his eyebrows as he parried her attack. 

Ladybug’s breath steamed in the cold as she whirled her yo-yo. “I never feel much of anything when I’m fighting you, Chat Noir. Don’t be mistaken.” She threw her yo-yo, forcing Chat to dodge. 

Chat’s eyes flashed as he stumbled back against the roof’s edge. “How cruel my Lady is! Clearly, you need some of my extra-paw-some charm tonight.” 

“I thought you and Hawkmoth would be above that type of torture.” 

“Your words are the ones torturing me now, milady,” he replied, an odd edge in his voice. He snapped his teeth at her teasingly, and she smacked his face with the yo-yo. 

"Who would have guessed such a thing could be possible?” she replied, breathless as she caught the recoil of her weapon.

Shoved off-balance, Chat reared his head back, as he tried to regain his coordination. “You’d be surprised, then, if you ever agreed to come home with me,” he huffed, attempting a retreat.

Ladybug gritted her teeth, a tired snicker slipping past her lips. “That won’t be happening anytime soon, Chat.” She swiped at him with her yo-yo, trying to trap him. He managed to dodge and land a counterblow, sweeping her off of her feet with his staff. Jackknifing back into position, she blew her bangs out of her eyes and refocused on Chat, catching her breath as she plotted her next move. 

He paced along the roof, his tail lashing out behind him. He still seemed oddly angry and oddly…small. She reflected on his words. Was he actually being tortured at home? “You know,” Ladybug called out to him, overpowered by sympathy for the young man blessed with nothing but destruction and cruelty. “You don’t have to do this. Any of this.” 

He turned his glittering green gaze on hers. “You don’t understand.” 

“I could, if you’d let me,” she offered desperately, just as she offered every single battle. “Everyone deserves a chance, even you.” She watched him hesitate, as he did every single time that she made her offer, and she felt the same wave of hope overpower her. 

All he needed was the right words, and she fumbled for them now, as she did every week. “We could be partners. Partners as we should be,” she shouted, her voice wavering as her throat choked up with hidden tears. “I’d protect you, and you’d protect me. We’d protect the city together. We’d protect each other together. We’d protect the world together. It would be you and me against the world, Kitty cat. Doesn’t that sound nice?” 

Her tone was bittersweet. She could already see the suspicion building in his eyes, reflected in the narrowing of his pupils. She could feel the frustration and hatred beginning to overtake both him and her again. 

Sure enough, when he swung back around to face her, every movement was outlined by anger. He strode slowly toward her, his boots echoing against the roof. “It’s never going to be me and you against anyone but each other, my silly little Ladybug,” he retorted, nothing but acid in his tone. “I have no choice; I’m doing this for the right reasons, but you would never agree.” 

Ladybug held out a hand to encompass the city and the Eiffel Tower, silhouetted behind them against the night sky. “You’re a part of this city, Chat Noir, and I will always protect this city. No matter what you and Hawkmoth try to do to it, I will always protect every single person in this city. Including you.” 

He hissed, his fangs glinting in the moonlight, before he lunged at her. She rolled to the side, wrapping her yo-yo around his feet and yanking him off the roof. 

He yowled as he fell. “Good hit, my Ladybug, but you’ve got no claws on me—aughhh!” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes a bit as she watched him land on the street below, only leaning over the roof’s edge to ensure that he hadn’t broken a bone when he’d fallen. She protected all the citizens, and that, unfortunately, included the cat supervillain. 

Swinging her yo-yo into a shield again, she turned to face the real opponent of the night: Stormy Weather. Calling on her Lucky Charm, she managed to outwit the weathergirl-turned-villain and restore order to the city. Chat didn’t resurface after his fall, and for that she was grateful. 

Between the akuma and Chat, Ladybug was kept busy every battle. She felt lucky each time that she limped away, Paris glowing red with her magic ladybugs. She felt satisfied every time Chat was forced to retreat and lick his wounds, awaiting the next battle to strike. More importantly, she felt sad. Sad that her would-be partner was her enemy. She wasn’t sure why. 

But she was sure of one thing: Chat Noir and Hawkmoth could never be allowed to win. 

\----- 

“Marinette, would it kill you to let me win this round?” 

“Would it kill you to actually get better at video games?” she laughed back. 

Adrien threw her a faux pout as he dropped his controller onto the table. “I don’t understand how you destroy me so much; I play this all the time when I’m locked up at home in prison-land.” 

Marinette ran her hand sympathetically through his hair, and he cuddled up next to her. “Oh, sweetie. I’m still so sorry you’ve been trapped at home. I’m glad you get to come here, though,” she added with a smile. “You’ve always got a real home with me.” 

Adrien smiled back, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m glad I get to come here, too.” He pressed his nose to Marinette’s hair and inhaled the scent of cookies and cinnamon that always seemed to emanate from her. “Being here with you is more home than I’ve ever even dreamed of.” 

Marinette blushed as she put down her controller and reached for the cookie tray. “How about a cookie for the handsome model?” 

Adrien winked. “The handsome model accepts and raises the beautiful designer another cookie.” 

Marinette giggled and passed him two cookies, saving the final two for herself. “The designer accepts and cashes out because we’ve eaten all the rest.” 

Adrien raised his cookie in a faux toast. “To the model and the designer?” 

Marinette grinned and tapped her cookie against his. “To us.” 

Adrien bit into his cookie. “Us against the world.”


	2. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Chat meet. It turns out that it's hard to protect your girlfriend when you're a criminal. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Ladybug learns that Chat may not be all he seems at first sight, while Chat rethinks his relationship with villainy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tough chapter to write. A lot happens, and I came up with a somewhat confusing akuma design for the second battle. Let me know if you need clarifications or if it doesn't work at all! Happy 2021!   
> As always, your comments and kudos make my day!

##  I Knew You Were Trouble 

The bouquet in Adrien’s hands completely blocked his face from view, so that when Marinette opened the bakery door, she was greeted with an explosion of flowers and a riot of color so violent that she had to step back. 

Batting away the blossoms, she fumbled to reach Adrien’s face. “Adrien, is that really you behind here, or have you been transformed into a flower?” 

Adrien laughed as he entered the Dupain-Cheng bakery and deposited his bouquet on the countertop. “I don’t think Hawkmoth has made any flower-themed akumas yet, has he?” 

Marinette leaned in to sniff a flower, smiling as she did so. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked you to be the first one. You’re Paris’s baby-faced golden boy, after all,” she teased, not noticing Adrien’s faltering smile. 

He recovered quickly. “I don’t think a flower face would look so good when my regular face is already so pretty.” 

“And so modest, too.” 

Adrien faked a faint into Marinette’s arms. “Oh, my dear Marinette is so cruel to me. Whatever shall I do, wondrous world? What more is there for me to live for, God?” 

Marinette giggled, trying her best to maintain a stern expression and failing miserably, as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Maybe there’s a reason she’s being so cruel to you. Maybe you deserve it. Have you considered that?” 

“G-God? Is that you?” 

Rolling her eyes, Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien, pulling him into a hug. “You silly handsome boy, I used to think you were more than just a pretty face.” 

“And I am. I’m a very, _very_ pretty face, get it right.” 

Marinette sighed into Adrien’s shoulder. “I love you and I’ve missed you.” 

Adrien hugged her back tightly. “I love you and I’ve missed you, too. Walk to school with me?” 

Marinette looked up and smiled. “You bet. Thank you for the flowers; they’re beautiful and you really shouldn’t have.”

Adrien winked. “You bet.” 

Marinette swung her backpack over her shoulder, purse already dangling at her side. “Why did you buy them, anyway? Today’s just an ordinary day!” 

Adrien linked arms with Marinette and squeezed her hand. “No day is merely ordinary with you by my side, my dear.” 

He grinned and watched her blush with joy and a bit of catlike satisfaction. 

\------

It was frustrating when Marinette couldn’t transform right away to go find an akuma. When she was in class, or when people were around, or really whenever the akuma came at a time when she wasn’t alone in her room or in the bathroom, it would always be a hassle. 

But this time, the akuma found her well before she could transform and find it. 

The akuma was perched on the windowsill of her classroom, its clawed feet digging into the white paint of the sill. It squawked and screeched, its feathered appendages windmilling angrily. 

“I am the Eagle!” it roared. “No one scares me!” 

“Oh, great,” Marinette muttered, looking around at her friends. Rose and Juleka were clutching at each other, Alya was already fumbling for her phone, Nino looked determined but nervous, and Adrien—was nowhere to be found! Marinette looked around the room in horror, but all the students besides Adrien were accounted for, everyone else frozen into positions of fear, even Chloe. 

With the exception of brave Ms. Bustier. Their teacher dashed to the window and blocked the akuma’s path with her arms before Marinette could stop her. “Students, evacuate now!" she called over her shoulder. "I’m sure that Ladybug—” 

“Ladybug?" screamed the akuma. "I don’t fear her!” 

With a quick flick of its muscles, the Eagle pecked at Ms. Bustier’s shoulder with its vicious beak. Tears sprang to Ms. Bustier’s eyes, and she dropped to her knees in pain. Blood streamed steadily from her wound. Marinette clapped her hands to her mouth, sudden shock overtaking her. 

“NO!” she shouted, dashing forward. Hands balled into fists, she stared down the Eagle. “Get out of here!” she yelled. “Leave my friends alone! Hurting people won’t prove you’re brave, Eagle. It just proves that you’re weak!” 

She sank down onto the ground next to Ms. Bustier. “Madame!” she cried out, her eyes welling over. “What do we do?” 

For the first time since becoming Ladybug, she felt helpless before the akuma. 

“Marinette, take your classmates and get out of here,” whispered Ms. Bustier, who had struggled to her feet. “I’ll distract it.” 

But the akuma had heard enough. “You think you’re better than me, little girl?” it screeched, turning to face Marinette. “Then FIGHT!” 

The akuma reared its head, preparing to strike. 

But Marinette had heard enough, too. Grabbing a wastebasket, she threw it at the akuma’s face, hearing its indignant yell in response. Without thinking, she used the distraction to smash a fist into the Eagle’s side and kick at its legs, unseating it from the windowsill. 

Watching the akuma fall to the ground, Marinette planted her hands on her hips and smiled down in satisfaction. She heard the cheers of her classmates from behind her and felt proud. She had bought them a little time, she had protected her classmates, and she could maybe keep Adrien safe… 

Suddenly, a clawed hand smashed into her face and closed over her mouth, preventing her from screaming, as another hand wrapped around her back and twisted her arms. The smell of leather overpowered her, and her hair stuck to the back of her neck with cold sweat. 

Her classmates gasped, too shocked to speak, until one voice broke the silence. 

“Oh, Marinette!” Rose called out in fear. “It’s Chat Noir!” 

Of course, it was, she thought to herself in dismay. How could she have forgotten him? Struggling against his grip, she shot him a fiery glare. 

“Well, hello, Marinette,” he whispered slowly into her ear, as he shifted position and held her against his chest. “Isn’t this a lovely surprise? I’ve heard so much about you—beloved by your classmates, admired by a famous musician, even the winner of a few Gabriel fashion contests. This is quite an honor, don’t you think?” She felt his fangs brush her skin and shuddered involuntarily. 

“Mmph!” she tried to shout, her muffled voice raw. 

She could feel Chat’s smirk against her skin. “Now, now, don’t be like that, chérie.” 

Marinette tried to step on his foot, but he dodged her strike with ease, chuckling. “My darling Marinette, I would recommend standing very still. Purr-omise not to scream for help?” he asked, his breath warming her cheek. “I don’t really want Ladybug to know I’m here yet, you see.” 

Marinette shut her eyes tight and nodded slowly, feeling Chat’s hand on her mouth relax. Over the sound of her thundering heart, she could hear Alya’s protest of her capture and Nino’s scramble to restrain Alya. Marinette opened her eyes and shook her head minutely at her best friend, meeting Alya’s wide eyes with her best attempt at a reassuring look. Alya bit her bottom lip and buried her head into Nino’s shoulder, all characteristic good humor and bravery gone. Marinette tensed her muscles; she needed to get Chat away from here! 

Ignoring Alya’s protests, Chat narrowed his eyes at the rest of the class, his gaze unreadable. “Now, I’d recommend that everyone step away from this window and gather in the opposite corner of the classroom. Try and attack me, and our dear Marinette will face the consequences. And you—” Chat said, pointing a claw-tipped finger at Chloe, who had pulled out her phone to call her father “—don’t even _think_ of calling anyone.” 

Marinette watched in mute horror as Max and Nino helped Ms. Bustier coax everyone into the corner, including a weeping Rose, a raging Kim, and a furious, fearful Chloe. The rest of the class remained silent, with only faint whimpers from Chloe and comforting whispers from Ms. Bustier. 

Chat’s leather-clad hand slid across Marinette’s face as he finally removed it from her mouth. Marinette resisted the urge to bite him, instead choosing to stand tall. His suit would prevent him from feeling any pain from a bite anyway, and she wanted to maintain her dignity. 

Marinette swallowed to soothe her throat, which had suddenly gone dry. “I’m not your ‘dear’ anything, Chat. Let my friends go,” she spat. 

She heard Chat inhale sharply before he shook with laughter. “How cruel you are to a poor kitten like me. Don’t I look lonely and in need of love?” he joked, batting his eyelashes, making him look more vulnerable and less cruel than she knew he was. 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Not if you keep this up. You’ll have plenty of friends soon. In _jail_ ,” she emphasized harshly. 

“Ah, there’s the flattery I’ve been searching for,” he mumbled, pressing her closer to him, as he alternated glances between her and the window, watching for the akuma’s return. “You think I’m charming enough to have plenty of friends wherever I go?” 

“If you’re so charming, then why don’t you use all of that to make your akuma leave me and my friends alone?” she snarled, eyebrows furrowed in anger, as she twisted to meet his cat gaze. 

His eyes roamed across her face as a smirk spread across his lips. “It’s not exactly _my_ akuma, you know,” he murmured into her ear. 

“I don’t care. Just let me go and leave us safe and alone,” she hissed, her eyes blazing, as she struggled against his arms again. 

“Ah, ah, ah,” he scolded, tightening his grip on her body. “You see, I can’t do that, lest you try to come after the akuma again and do something rather…silly.” 

“So you think it’s silly to protect your friends, is that it?” she tested. 

“Not at all. I think it’s brave,” he replied, almost sounding admiring, before his tone turned stern. “Albeit a bit stupid. You’re no superhero, Marinette.” 

“Neither are you,” she retorted, and she felt him flinch. 

His claws dug into her waist. “Now, that was a bit rude and uncalled for. Here I am, protecting you—” 

“More like protecting the akuma,” Marinette muttered. 

“—and you don’t even call me your hero,” he teased, tongue flickering across his teeth. “I don’t expect much, you know, but a little ‘thank you, my darling’ or perhaps calling me your ‘savior’ and your ‘knight in shining armor’ would suffice—oof!” he yelped, as Marinette dug her elbow into his stomach in an escape attempt. 

But Chat recovered quickly, catching her and spinning her around to pin her against the wall with his arms. His nose brushed hers as they stood face to face, breathing heavily. Marinette braced herself for another threat or an act of violence, but Chat only chuckled at her. 

“You might want to stop all that,” he murmured, his eyes boring into hers. “I’m only trying to keep you out of trouble.” 

“Then don’t put me or my friends into it,” she said through her teeth. 

“Very well. You have my word,” he replied immediately with a wink, surprising her. 

“The word of a criminal? Not worth very much,” she noted. 

“I suppose the only way I could prove myself would be through keeping it.” 

“That’s right. I assess people based on actions, and yours have never reflected any sense of moral worth or decency at all!” she shouted. 

To her surprise, Chat dropped his eyes from hers guiltily, before looking back up at her through his eyelashes. “You might be surprised at what I’m capable of,” he growled, his hands tightening imperceptibly on her wrists. 

“Your capabilities for violence and deceit could never surprise me,” she replied defiantly. 

“And yours for willful misunderstanding could never surprise me,” he retorted. 

An explosion could be heard from afar, and at that, Chat gave her a half-smile. “That would be my cue, Mademoiselle. Promise to stay out of trouble if I keep it away from you?” 

Marinette glared at him. “Thought it wasn’t your akuma?” 

Chat laughed uneasily. “I’ll take that as a yes. Au revoir, my dear.” Before she could react, he released her and shoved her away, flicking his baton and leaping from the window in a single smooth motion. 

Gasping for breath and shooting a final glare at Chat’s receding back, Marinette balled her hands into fists. 

Alya and the girls rushed forward. 

“Mari, are you all right?” 

“Oh, Mari, you look all flushed and sweaty—thank god he didn’t use those claws to slice right through you!” 

“Scary supervillain. Awesome.” 

“Girl, oh my God! Can’t believe you got to see Chat up close!” 

“Everyone, wait, give her some space! Go on, Marinette!” 

Marinette opened her mouth, and the girls leaned in to hear her. 

“I hate that stupid cat,” she yelled, shaking a fist in the air. “Imagine the poor girls who have to deal with him!” 

\------ 

After her battle with the Eagle, Marinette de-transformed and snuck back into the classroom where her friends had been hiding. 

Alya brightened upon seeing her. “Mari! Where on earth did you go, girl?” 

Marinette shook her head. “I lost you guys when we were running away, so I hid somewhere else. You all made it back okay, though?” 

Everyone nodded shakily, before Nino spoke up. “Wait! Dudes, where’s Adrien? I think he’s been missing this whole time!”

Marinette’s eyes widened in fear, as she imagined scenarios of kidnapped Adrien, dangling-over-a-cliff Adrien, or murdered Adrien. Her Ladybug cure wouldn’t reverse non-akuma-related crime. “Adri—” 

“I’m here!” called Adrien from the doorway. Marinette felt her shoulders slump as she, along with everyone else, let out sighs of relief. “Sorry, guys, I went to the bathroom during class and that’s right when the attack started. What lousy luck I’ve got, right?” Catching sight of Marinette, Adrien rushed over to her immediately and pulled her into a hug, his hands digging into her back. “Marinette! Are you okay? Did anything happen to you?” 

Marinette gave him a hesitant smile and squeezed him back tightly. “I’m okay, handsome. The akuma hurt Ms. Bustier, but the Cure fixed her right up. And I had a little _run-in_ with Chat, that’s all.” 

“That’s all?” echoed Alya, her hands on her hips. “Girl, you basically defeated the akuma, and Chat almost kidnapped you.” 

Adrien’s eyes narrowed, and he seemed oddly nervous. “Chat…didn’t hurt you, right?” 

Marinette shook her head, rubbing his shoulders comfortingly. “Not at all! I’m fine! He was all talk,” she scoffed, waving her arms in a dismissive gesture. 

Adrien tightened his embrace. “Marinette, don’t joke about this. I need you to stay safe. Please, please, I would lose my mind if you got hurt by the akuma, or Chat, or—or anyone! Just run away if you see another akuma, promise me, okay?” 

Marinette cupped his face in her hands. “I promise. And you…you better promise to stay close to me or text me that you’re safe or something whenever we have an attack at our school, okay? You’ll give us all heart attacks!” she admonished, looking deeply into his eyes. “I care about you too much, Adrien. We all do!” 

He smiled. “I’ll try not to just disappear next time, I promise.” 

Marinette playfully punched his arm. “You better not, or else I’ll beat you up.” 

Adrien held up his hands in mock-surrender. “I’d never want to get on your bad side, chérie. You’re terrifying when you’re mad. Like Ladybug. Or an adorable hamster with really sharp claws.” 

Marinette crossed her arms. “Good.” 

But of course, both would ultimately break their promises. 

\------

To her relief, Marinette was able to transform without any issues for the next fight, although this akuma seemed more...threatening than usual. As Ladybug, this would probably be one of her toughest akuma battles yet. 

“Little Ladybug, let’s take a look at your worst memories, shall we?” crowed the akuma. 

Ladybug huffed out a breath as she landed on the ground. “Shut up, Memoria,” she muttered, her patience fraying. Thank goodness Chat wasn’t here yet. 

She threw her yo-yo at the akuma and watched it dodge her attack easily. It resembled a dark purple shadow, with horns on its head and some sort of magic bracelet on its arm, from which it shot blasts of magic that froze people where they stood and filled their eyes with purple fire. Ladybug suspected that they were trapped inside their darkest memories, rooted to the ground by fear and trauma. She wasn’t sure how the long-term effects would manifest, but she knew one thing: these attacks could not be allowed to continue. 

Swinging her yo-yo into a shield, she dove in front of a citizen and blocked the akuma’s magic blast. Turning to the boy, she gave him a comforting smile, without letting her eyes lose sight of the akuma. “Quick, get behind that building, I’ll cover you—” 

And then her voice died in her throat. 

Because it was Adrien. Her Adrien. 

Adrien looked up at her, his green eyes wide and his blonde hair unnaturally mussed by the wind from the attack. “L-Ladybug?” 

Ladybug gritted her teeth and grabbed him around the waist. “Come on!” 

Adrien froze as Ladybug lifted him off of his feet and zipped him away on her yo-yo. The two swung through the city before Ladybug deposited him behind an empty warehouse. “Stay here, okay? Stay here, and—and text whomever you need to and tell them you’re safe. I’ll try to be back to pick you up later. All—all right?” 

Adrien was speechless. “I—uh, Ladybug, you’re saving—saving _me_?” 

Ladybug looked puzzled, before she flashed him another smile. “Of course! I save everyone, and you’re important to a lot of people.” She put a hand over his, feeling her cheeks warm as she gazed into her unknowing boyfriend’s eyes. “Trust me.” 

Adrien felt his cheeks heat up, too, for reasons he didn’t quite understand, and he couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. “Oh, I do—I mean…Then, I’ll just wait—I’ll be here. T-thank you. For—saving me,” he stammered, enunciating his final words as if he’d never been saved by anyone before. 

Ladybug smiled, looking relieved, before a loud crash resounded from a faraway building. Her eyes widened and she threw her yo-yo again, now preoccupied by the battle to come. “You’re welcome," she called. "I’ll be back!” 

“Good luck!” he shouted at her, before he realized that he was cheering on his enemy. “Wait, no—that was…very stupid,” he mumbled to Plagg, who was hiding in his pocket. 

Poking his head out from the pocket, Plagg cackled and munched on a bite of cheese. “Today’s going to be verrry interesting.” 

“She saved me, Plagg. Me! Would she have done the same had she known who I really was?” he wondered aloud, gazing wistfully at her departing form. 

Plagg nudged him. “I think you know the answer to that.” 

Dismissing his kwami’s wisdom, Adrien shook his head to clear his mind. It was time to focus. “Any messages from my father?” he asked, pulling out his phone, which had been sitting in the same pocket as Plagg. His fingers hesitated over Marinette’s name in his contacts list as he remembered Ladybug’s words, before he decided to write her a quick message promising his safety. 

“Nope,” replied Plagg as Adrien typed. “Just the usual, like a regular cheese order. It’s all ‘Get in, stop her, help the akuma, and get out’. What a grouch.” 

“That’s weird,” mused Adrien as he sent his message. “This akuma seems a little more threatening than the others. I don’t like what it’s doing—it could hurt a lot of people.” 

Plagg flew up and jabbed him in the nose. “You know that you could change your mind, right? Fight on Ladybug’s side, kid. You know that she’s good person—” 

“NO!” shouted Adrien, squeezing his phone tightly. “I don’t know that.” 

“You’re not supposed to use the Miraculous like this,” pointed out Plagg, as he did nearly every day. “You’re supposed to help Ladybug. You’re going to be drawn to her no matter what you think.” 

“Then I’ll have to be even more diligent about keeping myself focused.” Adrien squared his shoulders. “I’ll do anything for my mother. Anything!” 

“But kid, is this really about your—” 

“Plagg, claws out!” interrupted Adrien. 

The classic black mask whipped across his face with crackles of green energy. He clenched his hands into fists and bent his now-leather-clad legs, smiling at the power that came with being Chat Noir. Spinning his baton in one hand, he readied himself for battle, choosing for the moment to ignore his confused thoughts about Ladybug. 

“It’s time for a little fun.” 

\------

Ladybug, however, was not having much fun. Her detour with Adrien had cost her dearly, and she could feel Tikki admonishing her as she flew through the air, trying to distract the akuma and de-evilize it before Chat could arrive. 

“Come on, come on, the akuma must be in your bracelet—let me at it!” Ladybug muttered, frustrated, as she dipped and dodged the akuma’s furious strikes. 

“Little Ladybug, just give up your Miraculous. I doubt you have good memories with it!” taunted the akuma. With a menacing cackle, its shadowy form grew to block out the sun’s rays, casting Ladybug’s face in darkness. 

Cursing under her breath, Ladybug flipped up her yo-yo and called for her Lucky Charm. With a flash of red light, a matchbox appeared in her hands. 

“A matchbox? With three matchsticks?” she queried in surprise. 

Her eyes glinting, Ladybug searched the street for anything she could use, only managing to pick up a couple of fallen rubber bands before she stumbled, her hands and feet shaking. She stared out at all the people caught by the akuma and watched their purple eyes glow as their bodies writhed in pain. The matchbox slipped out of her hand, and she fumbled to catch it. Standing up again, a dark figure caught her eye, and she met the green cat gaze of Chat Noir. 

“Why, hello, there, milady,” Chat began with a wink. “Glad you could stop by for a little trip down memory lane with me!” he finished in a mock-sultry tone as he strutted across a neighboring rooftop. 

“Chat Noir,” growled Ladybug, her fingernails digging into her gloved palms. “What brings you out here? Hawkmoth’s temper tantrums? Akuma trouble? Or is it really your lovely memories of _me_?” She narrowed her eyes at him and spun her yo-yo into a shield. 

Chat’s eyes widened at the mention of Hawkmoth before he cleared his expression, his face smoothening with what looked like years of practice. “So, you admit we've had some good times together, then, Ladybug?” he taunted with a laugh, flipping his baton over his hands. 

Realization lighting up her eyes, Ladybug gripped her matchbox tighter. “Not at all!” she shouted, and she tackled him. Chat, who had not been expecting a headlong rush, found himself swept off of his feet. The two tumbled on top of each other, each trying to gain the upper hand, until Chat managed to pin Ladybug beneath him with his knees around her hips. Her youthful pigtails were splayed out on both sides of her head, and her mouth was tight. Delighted at his easy victory, Chat leaned in close to her and grinned slowly, letting his fangs jut out from his mouth. 

“Gotcha,” he purred. “Looks like you made a bit of an amateur mistake.” 

Suddenly, Ladybug revealed her own smile. “So did you,” she taunted, wrestling her hand free. Surprised, Chat flinched, but Ladybug merely reached out and poked his nose, the material of her suit rubbing at his skin. “Silly Kitty. This akuma’s impatient. Just. Like. You.” 

At that, a flash of purple light engulfed them both, and Ladybug and Chat Noir were frozen as they were forced to retreat into their minds. 

\------

Chat’s eyes flew open. 

His back ached. He was lying on the ground in a room filled with nothing but pulsing purple shadows. Carefully, he sat up and rubbed at his itching nose before pressed his fingers against his pounding temples. 

Suddenly, he looked up. “Wait a minute,” he muttered to himself. “The akuma…got me?” Recalling how he and Ladybug had been together when the akuma had attacked, he shook his head ruefully. “Father really doesn’t care as long as he gets Ladybug, huh?” 

Standing up, he used his night vision to study the blank, shadow-covered walls in front of him before turning around. At the sight of this final wall, however, his eyes widened with glee. Dozens of star-shaped monitors, each gleaming with a video of a hazy memory, were hanging on the wall, covering it from end to end. 

More importantly, each memory featured a blurry-faced pigtailed girl. 

Facing the monitors, he grinned and pumped his fist in satisfaction. “Jackpot.” 

\------ 

Ladybug had planned out the hit, but she hadn’t realized that she and Chat would switch memories. Looking at the set of monitors before her, she recognized blonde hair in each one. 

“Oh, no!” she muttered to herself, massaging her own pounding head. “This was not how it was supposed to go. This means he must be seeing my memories, because we were touching when we got hit!” 

Her only consolation lay in the fact that his memories seemed somehow obscured, most likely by his superpowers to protect his identity

Letting her hand rest against a monitor for a moment, she ran her fingers across memories of a blurry boy being screamed at by a dark, shadowy figure she assumed represented his father. Her eyes widened as she saw the same story being repeated over and over again: a boy abused by his father, an empty house, pained smiles at a blur of fancy parties, some sort of golden-haired figure in a bed with white linens, and a creature with glowing green eyes—his kwami. 

“It’s true,” she whispered to herself. “It’s all true. He is being tortured or--or harmed… But where does his father fit into the picture? And Hawkmoth? And who is the woman?” She let her fingers glide across an image of a boy laughing with his kwami, lonely in a dark, dark house before the shadowy figure returned. The figure that was absent unless it was screaming, the boy who spent his days studying or fencing before being crumpled into a ball beside his bed at night crying, and…some pigtailed girl who brought temporary light into his life. 

“A girl?” she murmured, letting her fingers hover over the image of a dark-haired girl, whose face was also blurred. “Who is she?” 

But even when with this girl, Chat’s happy grins still resembled a mask, hiding his true feelings and his identity. 

Suddenly, Ladybug felt a tug at her ears. The akuma, having frozen both her and Chat in the real world, must be trying to remove her Miraculous. But the matchsticks she had rubberbanded to her ears would most certainly get in the way, wouldn’t they? Hopefully, that would buy her enough time. 

Now, she turned to the remaining matchstick in her hands. Flicking one stick against the matchbox, she watched a flame rise up at the end of the match with a vehemence. 

“It’s time to end this cruel place!” she cried. 

Tossing the matchstick at one of the monitors, she watched the flames lick the sides of the gleaming star-shaped screens, catching and rising as they filled the room and consumed the shadows around her. 

Suddenly, she felt the jabbing at her ear cease. 

“If I’m right…” she muttered, smiling to herself. “We’ll both be out of here soon, Kitty Cat.” 

\------ 

The Kitty Cat, for his part, was not having much success.

“Her Miraculous powers must be preventing me from seeing the faces of her or her loved ones to protect her identity,” he growled, frustrated. His eyes flashing, he looked over the screens, each of which featured a dark-haired girl enjoying her family, being with her friends, loving some blonde boy, and celebrating her life. 

“But where are her bad memories?” he hissed. “Where are the damn memories that the akuma is supposed to bring out to torture people with?” 

He’d reached the final panel of memories at the far right of the wall, and here the faces were no longer blurry. In each screen, he recognized Ladybug, flying around the city, and himself as Chat, his grin taunting and his claws swiping across her face. He saw her blood spattered across the city as he snarled and fought and helped the akuma. 

Chat took a step back in horror. He’d never seen himself like this before. He knew he hadn’t exactly been spreading good cheer, but he’d never thought about the extent of his crimes for his family. 

He remembered Marinette shouting at him when he’d held her against her will. 

_I assess people based on actions, and yours have never reflected any sense of moral worth or decency at all!_

“Marinette was right,” he whispered. “Because Ladybug’s worst, most horrible memories are all…of me.” Slamming his fist against a monitor, he watched as a crack spread across the screen. “God, I’m…I’m so—” 

Light flashed through the crack on the screen, and suddenly, the glittering monitor he’d punched engulfed him. Chat screamed in shock as he felt himself shrink, his muscles flexing unfamiliarly. Looking down at himself after a moment, he was greeted by familiar red and black spots instead of his usual black leather. He tried to move and found that he couldn’t control the movements of the body he was in. With a start, he realized he had somehow actually entered her memories to see one of their old fights—but from her perspective. 

The Ladybug of the memory looked up, and through her eyes Chat saw himself as she saw him—a lost soul, who had the potential to help but ended up an enemy every time. He saw the citizens of the city in chaos, and Ladybug’s hand—now his hand—stretched out to protect them. He saw his own Cataclysm, his power of destruction, sending buildings to dust as he laughed. As the Chat of the memory gnashed his teeth, he stared into his own mocking eyes and felt Ladybug’s weariness, fear, and desperation. 

Ladybug tightened her fist and launched an attack, and he flinched as he came face to face with himself, her yo-yo ultimately launching the past Chat off of the roof’s edge. Expecting her to turn away and face the akuma after she’d beaten him, he instead felt her aching legs stumble to the roof’s edge. She craned her neck downward, and he felt her worry for him—no unadulterated hatred, only exhaustion and frustration. At the end of every battle, after his every defeat, she checked on him. How could he never have known that? 

The metallic taste of blood filled both his and Ladybug’s mouths. 

Suddenly, Chat felt something explode in his head as his surroundings caught fire, Paris in flames. This hadn’t happened in real life, had it? He felt himself slammed out of the memory and back into his own body, the air crushed from his lungs. 

His eyes slid shut, and he could remember nothing but Ladybug. 

\------

Ladybug watched the shadows that trapped her burn. 

The flames from her match continued to tear through the room of shadows, until she was surrounded on all four sides by walls of flame. Suddenly, as the fire reached a crescendo, Ladybug was launched out of the memories and back into reality, her body lying on the concrete. Now unfrozen from her position beneath Chat, she looked up to see the shadow-beast screaming as its body was wracked by flames. The other victims of the akuma’s attacks were now slowly beginning to awaken, blinking in confusion as they looked around, with some in tears. Chat, however, still seemed to be frozen, and Ladybug slipped artfully out of his grip. 

Exhausted, she managed a satisfied smile. Her hunch had been correct. The shadowy rooms filled with nightmare memories where the people had been trapped were actually located within the shadow-being itself, and fire had been the weakness of the akuma’s darkness. 

Now, without hesitation, Ladybug sprang through the air and whipped her yo-yo at the hand of Memoria, who was now distracted by the fire. The bracelet finally snapped, releasing a black butterfly, which Ladybug cleansed before curing the city. 

Her earrings beeped. She had been transformed for too long. Hands tugged at her, but she gave the beseeching citizens an apologetic smile. “Please be safe. I’m—I’m so sorry!” Tears stinging her vision, she stumbled back to where she had left Chat. 

But he was gone. 

Wincing, Ladybug zipped home on her yo-yo, watching the city flash by in blurs of pain and tired quiet. 

\------

Today, Marinette had found the akuma, but she couldn’t find a place to transform. 

She hadn’t been sleeping well since the previous akuma attack. Even when she was awake, Marinette had found her attention wandering, musing about Chat and his unhappy life. Worse, however, when she checked the news, she only found tearful confessions about the pain that people had undergone during the last attack. It seemed that mental attacks held a lot more weight than physical ones, and the guilt was destroying Marinette. Tikki had tried to console her, but for the first time, Marinette was feeling the limitations of her superhero persona. 

But today the weather was bright, and people had taken to the outdoors to cleanse their minds. As a result, the streets were packed with people fleeing Hawkmoth’s latest akuma victim, Mylene, who had been transformed into a newer version of the slime-spitting Horrificator. At the moment, however, Marinette was less worried about Mylene than herself, as she wondered how Ladybug could protect the people if they chose to trample her to death instead. Managing to reach the edge of the street and ducking down behind some bushes, Marinette breathed a quick sigh of relief and scrambled for her purse. “Tikki, sp—whoa!” she shrieked. 

She felt herself launched into the air as Horrificator exploded a slime bomb behind her. Flipping head over heels, eyes shut tight, she tried to brace herself for a landing, wishing she could just transform mid-air. 

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms grab her and hold her close. Her savior, breathing heavily, landed on a building and began to dash across the rooftops, her body carried bridal-style in his arms. 

“Jeez, Mari, what were you thinking?” her savior scolded. “What did I say before? You need to stay away from the akuma!” 

At the sound of his voice, Marinette’s eyes flew open. “Chat—Chat Noir?” 

“Don’t worry, Marinette, please,” he continued, his voice cracking in desperation. “I’ve got you, chérie. You’re safe.”

Still speechless, she looked up and met his toxic green gaze. He winked at her with familiarity, but his lips were pursed in concentration and worry. “Hey, there, Princess,” he offered. 

“P-Princess?” she repeated, shocked. Why was he…saving her? Why did he care so much about her? His green eyes had haunted her dreams ever since Memoria, and although she knew she still couldn’t trust him, something about his gaze now struck her as vulnerable rather than evil. 

Meanwhile, as he ran, Adrien was cursing to himself. He had wanted to call Marinette “Princess” as himself, not as Chat. How could he recover? “Of course, you’re a Princess of Paris,” he managed, using his best approximation of a smooth tone. 

She laughed, shakily, before realizing that they were still travelling across the Parisian skyline. She peeked over his shoulder, watching her surroundings blur around her. “Where are you taking me?” Her eyes widened as she took in his leather suit and baton more closely. “A-are you going to h-hurt me?” 

“No, Marinette, of course not—no!” Chat huffed, his chest heaving as he ran. “I’m just keeping my word.”

"Your word?" Feeling her heart speed up, she frowned, blue eyes blazing. “Are you sure this isn’t some part of your evil trickery? Kidnapping random young girls?” 

He chuckled, grip tightening subconsciously. “I’m not that kind of criminal, I purr-omise.” 

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Then you call all the girls ‘Princess’?” 

“Why, are you jealous?” he taunted. 

“Never!” she hissed. 

He grinned, recognizing the fire in her tone with fondness. “For you and only you, I’ll add that you’re the Queen of Europe, the master of my destiny, the love of—look out!” he yelped, his cat ears ruffling. Ducking into an alcove under the roof, Chat dropped Marinette to her feet, sinking to his knees to catch his breath. The duo flinched as they heard the akuma hurl a mass of slime at the roof. Crouching down to stay hidden, Chat bit the inside of his cheek nervously. One more verbal slip-up and his identity would be toast. 

Glimmering with surprise, Marinette’s eyes hovered over his. “Don’t you control the akuma at all?” 

Chat shook his head, still hunched over. “Only Hawkmoth controls it, and he doesn’t care what havoc it wreaks.” 

“But you care?” she asked, thinking again of Memoria. 

He didn’t respond, instead choosing to snatch her up in his arms and dash across the rooftops again. His eyes were focused on some distant spot, and Marinette resisted the urge to pet his cat ears, which were twitching on the top of his head. 

“Do you usually save lots of people?” she asked in wonderment. “I’ve never seen you like this before.” 

“Most people don’t see Chat as a savior. I’ve saved a couple of people before, but not many people trust me. Even when I save them, they look at me with—with hate. Ladybug usually does this part,” he admitted, his voice wavering. “Though she’s really late today.” 

“I’m so sorry, Chat, that you feel like you can’t be a hero,” she whispered, clutching his neck tighter. 

“Helping a supervillain or two apparently gives you that reputation,” he joked, but it sounded hollow. 

Catching sight of a nearby balcony, Marinette narrowed her eyes. This would be her last chance at getting more information out of him. “And what do you think of Ladybug?” 

He chewed his lip. “She—she does what she has to, and so do I.” 

Marinette curled her hands into fists. “And what makes you think that you have to be a villain?” 

“I—I don’t have a choice, Marinette. I need Ladybug’s Miraculous. It’s for something important. Something so important that I think if I told you, you might even understand. But I won’t take that risk and bring you into this.” He smiled softly. “I’m not a villain all the time, I purr-omise. I’m not being a villain right now, am I?” he asked, sounding a bit defensive. 

She bit her lip. “No, you’re not,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. A few acts of heroism won’t change the fact that you still are going to fight Ladybug.” 

He sighed. “I have to, Marinette. I don’t hate her, truly. She just doesn’t understand and won’t bother to. She sees the world in black and white. Like you do,” he added, sounding a bit surprised at the comparison. “But it’s a lot grayer than she might expect. Perhaps even grayer than I might expect, too.” 

Marinette frowned, perturbed by their conversation. It was time to bring this impromptu rendezvous to a close; she had her job to do. “Just drop me off at that balcony over there,” she ordered, pointing. 

He gave her a sideways smile, eyes flicking to hers quickly before sliding away. “So authoritative. Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he tested. 

“Why would you save my life, only to put me in harm’s way again?” she argued. “Besides, you just said so yourself.” She used her fingers to tilt his chin and meet his eyes. “You’re not really a villain.” She watched him flick his eyes away from hers. “You kept your word. You could be a hero, you know!” she protested, fumbling to keep her grip on his chin. 

He laughed, then leapt off of the roof and onto the balcony Marinette had indicated. Settling her onto her feet, he felt his breath hitch. Impulsively, he pulled her closer, arms circling her waist. “If that’s true, then stay with me. I’ll keep you safe,” he offered. But even as he spoke, he felt fear and doubt well up inside of him. What was he thinking? Why would Marinette ever accept anything from a known criminal? Could he even keep Marinette safe? 

But she merely laughed and mussed his hair, running her fingers along the base of his cat ears. “I think this balcony looks safe, and I don’t want to spend the rest of this battle hanging on for dear life in your arms while you fight Ladybug,” she teased. “I’ll admit you’re charming, Kitty-cat, but certainly not enough for me.” 

He raised his eyebrows. “Why, got a boyfriend?” he asked, light glinting off of his fangs as he curled his lips. 

“What’s it to you, nosy cat?” she retorted, poking his nose with a finger. 

He shrugged nonchalantly as he hid his smile. “Nothing at all,” he replied. Lowering his head, he bowed and saluted her before readying his baton. “Stay safe, Princess.” 

She gave him a long look, eyes narrowed. “You too, Chat Noir.”


	3. Champagne Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude of shenanigans. Funny how oblivious everyone is, isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the dialogue was inspired by Gilmore Girls heheh...lmk if you find the references :)

Adrien watched as Ladybug did flips over the rooftops in the hot noonday sun. 

Her body twisted in the air, the light gleaming off of her suit, as she practiced dodges with ease. He flinched automatically as he recognized her movements from their fights and from the memories he had hijacked during Memoria. Her flips and twists, though beautiful and haunting now, could turn deadly and powerful in a real fight, he knew. But he still remained entranced. 

Adrien’s hands tightened on the windowsill of his room as he stared out into the harsh sunlight. He hadn’t been able to go to school today because of a photoshoot, and he missed Marinette dearly. His classmates must be on a lunch break now. Although sitting alone in his room always made him feel invisible, watching Ladybug somehow eliminated that feeling. He bit his lip as Plagg, recognizing his melancholy mood, came to rest on his shoulder. 

“Go transform and say hi,” Plagg offered. 

Adrien gritted his teeth, watching Ladybug move. She feinted left, right, then leapt off of a building and landed on the neighboring rooftop, yo-yo swinging. 

“Absolutely not,” he replied. “She’ll think I’m attacking. You know she will.” 

Plagg shrugged, a movement which looked odd on the small cat-like deity. “Not necessarily! And besides, what’s the worst that could happen? You just want to hang out! You say hi, you talk, you leave.” 

“Your plans to get me to work with her are getting more obvious by the day,” Adrien noted. 

Plagg darted into Adrien’s pocket to retrieve a snack. “Just think about my idea before you shoot it down so fast, at least.” 

Adrien chuckled darkly, a breeze lifting the hair on the back of his neck. “You propose that idea like my father doesn’t exist.” 

“He won’t find out!” protested Plagg, poking his head out of Adrien’s pocket. 

Adrien shook his head, watching Ladybug practice her swings through a tangle of city buildings. “He always finds out.” 

Suddenly, Ladybug whirled around, her blue eyes meeting Adrien’s eyes head-on. Shocked, Adrien reeled back, dropping his hands from the window and backing away. “Crap! Plagg, she saw me!” 

Plagg laughed and hid in the pocket again. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” 

Seeing Adrien’s shock, Ladybug put a hand over her upturned lips as if to hide a smile. “Oh, my God, she’s laughing at me,” grumbled Adrien. “Why’d I watch her like a total creep?” 

Inside the pocket, Plagg cackled. “She was practicing in front of the whole city. I’m sure you’re not the only Ladybug fanboy, your Creepiness.” 

To Adrien’s increasing anxiety, Ladybug nodded brightly at Adrien and threw her yo-yo in his direction, as she seemed to make a beeline toward him. “I’m not a fanboy! I’m the exact opposite of that!” 

“A fan...girl?” queried Plagg, as Ladybug continued swinging toward Adrien. "I didn't know that...we can talk about it if you'd like--"

But Adrien had stopped listening, his eyes stretching wide as he watched the lone red-suited figure move ever closer. “Quick, Plagg—I think she’s coming over here!” 

“It’s fine, your dad isn’t home,” drawled the kwami. “Just talk to her.” 

“No!” cried Adrien, fumbling for the window latch to close and lock the window. “She can’t come here!” 

Still inside the pocket, Plagg nudged Adrien’s side, hard. “Kid, be reasonable, although I know that isn’t your strong suit. If she sees you avoiding her and shutting her out, that’ll make her ten times more suspicious of you than if you talk to her like a normal person. I mean, maybe she’s just passing on a message!” 

At that, Adrien’s face brightened. “Yeah, you’re right! Maybe she even saw Marinette in the street or something!” 

“Whatever. You humans are disgusting. I’ll just be here with my cheese.” 

“Don’t make a sound, Plagg” hissed Adrien as he tried to smile at Ladybug, who was almost at his house. “If she figures out my identity,” he muttered through a tight false smile, “then we’re all toast.” 

\---- 

For her part, Ladybug regarded Adrien’s flustered and fearful panic as adorable. She thought everything he did was adorable. His watching her was cute, but even more cute was his face when he realized that she had seen him. She was flattered by his attention. Maybe he thought he was being unfaithful to Marinette by watching her, but since she was Marinette, she really couldn’t judge. 

Feeling the air fly past her pigtails, she resisted the urge to let out a yell and instead kept her gaze focused and intense. She knew that she shouldn’t visit him in her superhero form, but she couldn’t help it. He was just too handsome, all glowing in the sunlight that streamed in through his window. 

Carefully completing her final swing, Ladybug landed on Adrien’s windowsill. She reached for the window to open it wider at the same time that Adrien did, and their hands caught. Quickly jerking his hand away, Adrien gazed at her guiltily through his flyaway hair. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“T-that’s a-all r-right,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush. “Can I come in?” 

Hesitantly, Adrien outstretched a hand. “Here.” 

She took it with a shy smile. “Thanks.” 

Maneuvering herself through the window, she landed on the wooden floorboards of his house with a soft thump. “Sorry to intrude, I just—I just—I just saw you, and I wanted—to—” 

“Pass on a message?” he asked, his eyes hopeful. 

“W-wha?” 

“From Marinette,” he clarified, his eyes clouding over at her confusion. “Did you see her? I couldn’t today.” 

“Ah…yes!” fumbled Ladybug. “She called me over in the street and told me to see if you were around, and if you were, to tell you that she wanted to see you for dinner tomorrow and to remember to text her your response.” 

Adrien smiled. “I’ll do that.” 

Ladybug crossed her arms, her gaze sharpening. Adrien shrank back. “So…model boy, why were you watching me practice at noon on a Thursday?” 

It was Adrien’s turn to stammer. “Ah—I—uh—” he mumbled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. Plagg’s words came back to him, and he tried in vain to ignore what he was sure would be the gloating antics of Plagg in his pocket. “I—just—admire—I mean—it must be hard,” he finally finished, “to be a superhero.” 

Whatever Ladybug was expecting, it was not that. “Hard to be a superhero?” repeated Ladybug, her eyebrows aloft. “What do you mean?” 

Adrien waved his hands around. “Well, between the akuma attacks, and Hawkmoth, and, well—” 

“Chat Noir?” offered Ladybug with an amused smile. 

Hearing his alter ego’s name from her lips, however, was enough to derail Adrien completely, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish’s before he could recover his wits. “Uhm, uh, yeah. Him.” 

“Does he scare you?” asked Ladybug with a touch of concern and confusion lingering in her voice. 

“Doesn’t he scare you?” challenged Adrien, pushing the hair out of his eyes. 

At that, Ladybug smiled and took a step forward, looking up into Adrien’s eyes. “He’s the toughest person for me to fight,” she admitted. 

“Why?” asked Adrien, surprised. 

“Our powers were meant to keep each other in balance. He’s hard to outwit and even harder to fight when he’s frustrated or angry.” 

“What’s he like when he’s all emotional like that?” Adrien replied, trying to hide the waver in his tone. 

Ladybug’s eyes darkened. “Tortured,” she replied simply. 

His eyes widened. “Tortured?” 

“Like he’s desperate. Like he’s got something to prove. Like—” here she shuddered “—like he hates me.” 

“He doesn’t hate you,” said Adrien immediately. 

Ladybug tilted her head. “How do you—” 

“He doesn’t mean to frighten you, or—or anyone. He’s sorry about that. It’s just that he’s—doing what he feels right. I think,” he added at an angry nudge from Plagg. “I don’t know—I mean, no one knows!” 

“Except for Chat himself,” replied Ladybug. 

“Except for him,” confirmed Adrien. 

Ladybug began to pace around Adrien’s room. “I used to think that intentions meant nothing. But now, I’m not so sure.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Ladybug sighed, rubbing her forehead with frustration. “That’s just it,” she said, looking down at the floor through her bangs. “I don’t know! I want to believe in him…he just makes so hard, sometimes. I just make it so hard, sometimes, too,” she whispered. 

“What did you see?” asked Adrien suddenly. 

Ladybug lifted her head. “When?” 

“When you and he got attacked by Memoria.” 

Here, Ladybug looked suspicious for the first time in their conversation. “How did you know that? I took you somewhere pretty far from there. Didn’t you stay hidden until the attack was over?” 

Cursing at himself, Adrien backpedaled quickly. “Oh, well—I didn’t mean—I saw it. On the news. And they said that you were muttering about something about Chat, so people thought, I mean, I don’t know…” 

“Oh, yeah,” replied Ladybug, relaxing at once. “Well…to be honest, I don’t think it’s my place to share.” 

“Of course.” 

“But don’t worry,” said Ladybug, placing a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, her eyes glimmering with poorly-hidden affection. “I haven’t forgotten about him.” 

Adrien shifted under her touch, struggling to meet her eyes. “I know. You never forget about anyone.” 

Ladybug looked surprised, before bashfully lowering her gaze. “Well, I try not to, anyway.” 

“Why do you save him? I see you…on—the news.” Adrien maintained eye contact with the superhero. “After the fights, you always go to check on him. Why? For real.” 

Ladybug hesitated, biting on the inside of her cheek. “He’s a person, and no matter what—he’s supposed to be my partner. He’s the only one who could possibly understand what it’s like to have a double life. To have a Miraculous. You want the truth? I tell people that I protect him because I want to protect everyone, but the truth is that no matter how much he scares me, I can’t help it. I have to save him because I don’t want to be the only one.” 

“You don’t want to be alone,” Adrien echoed in realization. 

Ladybug smiled. “Exactly.” 

\---- 

Marinette linked arms with Adrien as they walked around the city, his jean jacket matching her jean skirt like a matched set. She pressed her nose against windows; he tasted croissants from every bakery they passed. He tried on new green shoes; she bought red socks. 

“Well, this has been a very productive shopping trip,” Adrien began, shifting his position to hold Marinette’s hand as they sauntered along the Seine, leaves fluttering in their wake. 

“I agree,” she replied, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers. “Window shopping always counts as a win in my book.” 

Adrien chuckled. “So that’s why it’s called…WIN-dow shopping?” He tipped his head back and laughed, as Marinette jabbed his ribs with her elbow. 

“You and your punsl” shrieked Marinette, as Adrien retaliated by tickling her. 

“What can I say? I’m a punny man!” he teased, arms around her as they laughed in the street. 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe I love you.”

He pulled her into his arms and placed his head on top of hers, pulling them to a halt in the middle of the streets. The wind lifted his hair as he stared out at the flowing river. “I can’t believe it either.” 

\----- 

An akuma would be coming soon, and Chat Noir was very, very cold. 

Winter had descended upon the city suddenly. One day, Chat could have sworn it was sunny, and the very next day, snow had come. And now, he was stuck on a rooftop with his fingers jammed in his armpits, trying to get warm. Oh, if the Adrien Agreste fan clubs of Paris could see him now, eyelashes frozen as he shivered and hopped from foot to foot. 

“Stupid, freaking, ridiculous…Hawkmoth!” he hissed through gritted teeth as he danced around. “Couldn’t he just avoid an akuma today? It’s freezing! No one is even out!” A wind whipped past his face, and he growled in frustration. “How did he even find someone to akumatize, anyway? Are they cold too?” 

A startling movement on a nearby rooftop caught his eye, and he turned to look. 

A girl with raven pigtails and pink jeans was setting up a blanket and a mug of hot cocoa in the middle of the snow. It looked like a wonderful set-up, but he had to wonder if she was crazy to be doing it out in this weather. She was bouncing her head to music that was blasting from the nearby radio as she set up her cozy chair, her feet in lovely fuzzy socks and slippers. 

Fuzzy red socks. 

Fuzzy red _familiar_ red socks. 

He squinted. “Marinette?” he muttered, not realizing how close he’d come to her bakery. “Oh, no—” 

Marinette looked up, as if she’d heard him. Turning down the radio, she tilted her head, and Chat held his breath. 

“Hello? Is anyone there?” she called out softly, turning around herself as if expecting an intruder to pop out from behind her plants. Chat pressed himself against a neighboring ledge and hoped that she couldn’t hear him. 

“Tikki…are you sure you heard something?” 

“Tikki?” he whispered to himself. “Who the hell is Tikki?” Perhaps he’d misheard her. She was alone, after all. 

“Hello?” shouted Marinette again. “I know you’re out there. Why were you watching me?” Her voice echoed off of the empty buildings. "Creep!" she added. 

Cursing to himself, Chat slowly shoved his body forward and into Marinette’s line of sight and turned around, cringing as he anticipated her fright. 

Meeting her eyes, he grimly awaited his fate. "Am I your favorite creep, though?" 

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, eyes narrowed. “Chat—Chat Noir?” 

He gulped and gave her a bow. “At your service, Princess.” 

Marinette crossed her arms, looking less suspicious and more amused than he'd expected. “We seem to keep meeting. Are you following me?” 

Chat dipped his head, letting his hair fall into his face. “Only to keep you safe,” he replied automatically, realizing with a start of surprise that it was marginally true. 

Marinette raised an eyebrow again. “And why are you so worried about my safety?” 

“Because I don’t want to waste an investment." 

"An investment?" repeated Marinette with a frown. 

Chat backtracked furiously. "I just meant...I’ve already protected you twice now. But you do like to keep getting into trouble, don’t you, Cherie?”

Marinette gave him a haughty glare. “I can keep myself safe perfectly well, thank you.” 

Frustrated, Chat took a step forward and placed his hands onto the railing of her balcony. “That’s funny…tell me, how was that working for you last time?” 

Marinette snorted. “It was only a little fall.” 

With equal vigor, Chat replied, “It was not little.” 

“You look like you’re freezing,” she noted. 

“Clever and confident. My kind of girl.” 

“Oh, please. I could never, ever, ever be your kind of girl,” Marinette proclaimed, turning her head away from him. 

Amused, Chat leaned in closer. “Oh really? And what’s my kind of girl?” 

“Flirty and pouty, just like you.” 

“You wound me, Princess,” he whispered, bringing his lips closer to her face and watching as a blush bloomed across the bridge of her nose. “I’ve got much better taste.” 

“Maybe she’s a badass, too, then,” Marinette conceded. 

“There you go. Matches my costume a bit more, don’t you think?” he asked with a wink. 

Marinette pressed a finger to his nose and pushed him away. “Certainly doesn’t match your personality.” 

“Me-ouch! My Princess has got some claws!” He reached out and took her hands, gently rubbing them with his gloved fingers. “And these claws must be very cold…you should really go back inside.” 

Marinette frowned, looking down at their interlocked fingers, before jumping back with a start and pulling her arm away. “Hey!" 

He gave her a faux pout. "I was merely warming them, my dear." 

"Wait” She frowned. “Why do I have to go inside? What are you planning?”

Chat dropped his gaze. “Just go inside. It’s too cold to be out.” 

“Chat, are you and Hawkmoth planning something? Is there an akuma?” 

"It's really just more Hawkmoth than me," he pointed out. 

"You're being evasive." 

“Snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes—these are a few of my favorite thi-ings,” he sang out. 

"Kitty! Come on!” 

“Although those are my favorite things, they certainly aren’t healthy for you. You’ll get hypothermia.” 

“Fine, what’s the plan, then? Akumatize someone into a snowman? Or an ice queen? Will Hawkmoth never quit?” muttered Marinette as she paced across her balcony. 

“Or I guess you could just settle for frostbite instead of hypothermia.” 

“Evasive and annoying are not charming qualities, you know? You’ll never get your badass like that.” 

He grinned at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “Oh, but I already have her.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I will punch you. I won’t hesitate, and you know it.” 

He gestured to his face. “Go ahead. A punch from you—” he took her hand and kissed the back of it— “is more than worth the pain.” 

Marinette snatched her hand away again. “Chat. Noir.” 

Chat sighed and leaned away, waving his hands. “Mari, darling, I don’t know all the details. He tailors the powers to the person’s wishes.” 

“You don’t do anything?” 

He shook his head. “I wait and follow orders.” 

Marinette tapped her chin in thought. “Just follow his orders, huh? No thoughts of your own?” 

Chat groaned and settled himself on the railing of her balcony, flicking his leather tail aimlessly. “Oh, god, here come the pom-poms.” 

Marinette placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him. “No, no pom-poms, just me telling you that…” 

He raised an eyebrow. “That what?” 

Marinette let her hand run down his arm before taking his hand and holding it to her chest, not noticing Chat’s blush. “That you don’t have to follow his orders at all.” 

Trying in vain to beat back the red spreading across his cheeks, Chat smirked at her, before he looked down at the hand she was holding. Eyes wide in horror, he tugged at his hand furiously. “I—I do—I—Let go of my hand!” 

At that, Marinette looked down and realized the hand she was holding, automatically tightening her grip on his fingers. 

The fingers that held his ring. 

If his Miraculous worked like hers, then all she’d have to do was remove the ring, and his identity would be revealed, and through him, so would Hawkmoth’s. 

She caught her breath and looked up at him, slowly resting a finger on top of the paw print of the ring. 

Chat looked at her pleadingly, his cat eyes wide in terror. 

“Why are you so scared?” she whispered. “If I revealed your identity, it’d all be over. You could go back to being a normal person. Hawkmoth would be put in jail. You’d be free of him.” 

“How do you—it doesn’t matter,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You really think Paris would just let me go free with a pat on the head? No, I will pay alongside my father.” 

“Your father,” echoed Marinette. 

He jerked back. “Let me go.” 

Marinette hesitated. 

He looked into my eyes. “Darling, the only person in the world who could ever unmask me would be you. You’re my weakness. But you—If you think that you want to, go ahead. I can’t stop you.” He looked down, as if in shame. “I won’t stop you.” 

Marinette began to tug at the ring, and Chat watched forlornly as she slowly began to pull it off of his finger. He didn’t move or protest, his tail flicking as his ears drooped. Marinette resisted the urge to pet his head and instead bit the inside of her cheek as she forced herself to continue to remove the ring. Why was she so hesitant,? This was what she had been dreaming of for months! Unmasking the villains who terrorized her city. This would be the culmination of her hard work

…except that Ladybug wasn’t the one doing the unmasking. 

As she reached the final finger joint, she paused and stared up at him. “You’d really let me do it, wouldn’t you?” 

He couldn’t meet her eyes, only nodding vaguely. 

Marinette tipped his chin up with her other hand to meet his eyes. “Why? Why me?” 

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” he murmured. “You’re the only one who could ever catch me off guard, but at the same time…you’re the one person I couldn’t stand to watch as they discovered my identity.” 

Marinette scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.” 

Immediately, he met her eyes, green to blue. “I couldn’t live with you knowing my identity, and giving me that disapproving look of yours all the time because I'd lied to you, Mari. I couldn’t. Honestly, I don’t want to protect my father. I’m just terrified of him. And maybe I could let Paris do with me what they would. But you—you know what would be worse? Worse than any of that?” he asked, pressing his forehead to hers as Marinette stood, frozen and stunned. “Seeing you look away in shame as you found out who I was, knowing that I’d lost you forever.” 

Marinette shrank away as he leaned closer. Then, after digesting his words, she shook her head as if to clear it before looking back at Chat. He looked back at her, a cat caught in her trap, his breath caught in his chest. 

She smiled at him cruelly. “Oh, please. _You_ never had me in the first place.” 

Chat’s eyes looked bigger, as if they were on the verge of tears. “Mari, I—” 

Marinette stopped pulling on the ring and narrowed her eyes at him. “Tell me what or where the akuma is.” 

His pupils shrank as he stared at her. “I don’t know!” 

“Tell me what you know. You know something. Tell me or I unmask you.” 

“You could unmask me anyway.” 

“Tell me.” 

“It—It’ll be here in a few minutes. Here on top of your bakery. I’m supposed to guide it here. You need to get out. Take your parents and go stay with some friends. Marinette, please, let me go, I…” 

Marinette pulled the ring. 

BOOM!


	4. Invisible Strings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat's actions have consequences, and so do Marinette's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep adding chapters and I need to stop...but as always, your comments and kudos make my day!!!!

That night, neither of them could sleep. 

Adrien had already been planning to stay at Marinette’s, and normally, he would have been beyond ecstatic for a full night away from his father. But today, even as they cuddled together, Marinette’s head on Adrien’s chest, both were conflicted. Adrien wound his fingers through her hair, unfurling snags with practiced ease as he pondered the day’s events. Marinette, too, seemed preoccupied, her eyes half-closed as they watched a movie. 

“Marinette?” he asked tentatively. 

“Yes?” she mumbled back, sounding nearly asleep. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you about to fall asleep?” he asked, a teasing note in his voice as he nudged her foot with his own. 

“Wha—no! I’m not—” she let out a big yawn “—meepy at smhall! I MEAN—sleepy at all, ha ha!” Shaking her head and rubbing at her eyes, she struggled to sit up and look back at him. 

Adrien smiled at her and pushed her lightly back down. “No, it’s okay. Go ahead and sleep; I’ll turn the movie down.” 

With a soft sigh, Marinette let herself fall back into his arms as he muted the laptop they had been using, before she shook her head again. “No, Adrien, you sounded worried. Your mind’s been a million miles away all day.” She placed her hand atop his and drew his arm close to her chest. “What’s going on, hot stuff?” 

He chuckled at her nickname and placed a kiss on top of her head. “I just—about today,” he began, taking a deep breath. “I wanted to ask you something.” 

Immediately, he felt Marinette stiffen in his arms. She didn’t know that he already knew about her and Chat, so he’d have to tread lightly if he wanted answers. “Yes?” she repeated, trying to make her voice sound light. “What about today?” 

“The akuma—it came awfully close to your house,” he continued, puffing out his cheeks as he released a breath. “And, well, I was wondering if—anything happened. Are—are you okay? Did Chat—did something happen with him?” 

Marinette tried to hide her sudden intake of breath at the sound of Chat’s name. “Wha—oh, Adrien, don’t be worried! I—I was perfectly safe in the end…actually, Chat, um, he saved me. But don’t worry!” she continued, waving her hands about in classic Marinette fashion. “He didn’t—nothing’s—” 

Adrien had to smile. “Oh, I’m not—that’s not what I meant. I’m not worried about that. I mean, he’s a flirt, and I know you don’t like that.” 

Marinette tried to nod resolutely, hoping that Adrien couldn’t see her blush. “Er—uh, yes. I don’t. You’re—you’re right.” 

Adrien sensed her hesitation and couldn’t prevent a wide grin from shining past his usual façade. “Hmm…I mean…unless you do? ‘Cause then I can wear some cat ears, a leather jacket, and black eyeliner if that’s what you’re into—” 

Marinette squealed. “No, no, no—I mean, unless you _want_ to wear the jacket—WAIT, no, oh gosh, don’t ever tell Chat—don’t ever tell anyone I said that—” 

Adrien burst out laughing, even as he tried to hide his satisfaction. “Oh, your secret’s safe with me, but I’ll be buying that jacket now.” 

Marinette shoved her head into her hands. “Oh, God. I’m ruined.” 

He laughed harder and squeezed her tightly, before he remembered why he’d brought up the topic at all. “Okay, well, not that that wasn’t enlightening—” 

“UGH!” 

“—but my real question was…whether…well…anything else happened? To you? Are you all right, Marinette?” 

Marinette nodded again. “I’m all right!” 

“You’re sure? You didn’t get hurt?” repeated Adrien, holding Marinette more tightly to himself than before. “No remaining injuries?” 

She giggled and held up her arms. “Yes, I’m all right. See! Not even a scratch! Ladybug’s cure fixes everything, you know?” 

“Phew! Well, then…” Adrien shifted awkwardly as he thought through his next question. “Before that akuma came, did you…see anything? Involving Chat maybe? Because, you know, maybe if you saw something, we could report it to Ladybug.” A sudden seize of terror clutched at his heart. “And maybe we can ask her to patrol your rooftop really closely, because I can’t stand to know that you’re getting so close to these akuma attacks over and over again, even at your own home! We need to make sure you stay safe! Maybe I can use that stupid celebrity status of mine for actual good this once and—hey, why are you laughing? This isn’t—I mean—” 

Marinette interrupted him, shoulders shaking as she giggled. “Oh, Adrien, no, it’s just—you don’t need to worry! Trust me, I’m sure Ladybug will be taking very good care of that rooftop and that area in general from now on, okay? She told me so herself!” 

Adrien relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness.” 

“And for that other question—whether or not I saw something…well…to tell you the truth—” Marinette hesitated, before taking a deep breath. Telling Adrien about Chat couldn’t result in anything bad happening, right? “Chat keeps…running into me, a lot. And this time, he was at my house, I think preparing for the akuma, and we…talked.” 

“Talked?” echoed Adrien, trying to sound as innocent as possible. “What about?” 

Marinette grew still, hands twisting in her lap. “Well, it was…odd. He told me that he…well…that he was protecting me. Isn’t that weird?” 

“Is it?” 

“Isn’t it?” 

Adrien shrugged, trying his best to look casual. “Well, maybe he’s not as bad of a guy as we think?” 

At that, Marinette turned to face Adrien more fully, an eyebrow raised. “Really?” she replied. “I never thought you of all people would defend Chat.” 

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek to keep his mouth shut. “Go on, then. Was that all?” 

Marinette shook her head. “And then, well…I almost unmasked him.” 

“What?” he managed to croak. “How?” 

“I—I was holding…uh…well, I somehow got a hold of his hand, and he freaked out. I figured that if I took off his ring, the one that beeps after he uses his powers, then he’d lose his whole transformation.” She exhaled slowly, hoping that her explanation sufficed. She didn’t want to answer too many questions about her miraculous deduction. But thankfully, Adrien, her ridiculously oblivious boyfriend, was nodding along as if he didn’t question it. “And I—I’m not proud of this, but I used it to get him to tell me what was going on with the akuma. And then..well…” 

“Then?” prompted Adrien. “Did he tell you what was happnening with the akuma?” 

Marinette bit her lip. “Y-yes.” 

“So then?”

“Well…” Marinette began to flail her hands about as she struggled through her explanation. “I was going to pull the ring off, anyway.” 

“Because why?” Adrien asked, his voice softer than ever. 

“Because—because he’s a villain!” Marinette shouted, sitting up suddenly to meet Adrien’s eyes directly. “He’s a villain, and he—he has to be stopped. He’s done too much damage. I couldn’t—but I almost—” 

“You almost…what?” whispered Adrien. 

“Didn’t take his ring. I suppose I felt sorry for him,” she admitted, ashamed. “I felt sorry because he told me—” And then she realized. Looking over at Adrien, she realized what Chat had told her. “He told me about his horrible father—like yours, actually, and he kept saving me, but then he said that I was his great weakness, and that he couldn’t live with my knowing his true identity…because he’s—is he in love with me?” she finished, almost incredulous at her discovery. “Oh God, he’s in love with me!” 

Adrien flinched. 

Misreading his reaction, Marinette immediately reached for him. “Oh, no, no, Adrien! No, no, no, I don’t like him back or anything like that! How could I, when I have you?” she asked, smiling sweetly as she held his face in her hands. Adrien shut his eyes, hoping that she couldn’t read the pain in them, and tilted his face into her hand, forcing himself to smile. 

“Of course, I trust you completely,” he murmured, opening his eyes and looking into hers. “But maybe—maybe he just really trusts you…because he doesn’t have many friends?” 

“Maybe. Maybe you’re right,” Marinette sighed, nodding. “But his words—made me feel so sorry for him. But it didn’t matter. Because—” She hesitated, running her hands down Adrien’s shoulders and squeezing him tightly. “He’s a villain. And villains—” 

Adrien nodded. “They have to be stopped,” he finished, placing a kiss on her nose. “So—do you know his identity? Did you catch a glimpse?” 

After a long pause, Marinette shook her head. “No.” 

\---- 

The explosion shook the ground, cracking the tiles beneath their feet. 

Marinette fell, the ring slipping out of her grasp before it could fall from Chat’s finger. Her head hit the tiles with a loud smack, and her body rolled to the side. 

With a yell, Chat flipped over the railing and onto the balcony, his boots hitting the split tiles with a thud. “No, no, no. Marinette?” He reached for her, and irrationally wished that he could call Ladybug. She could heal Marinette, right? “Marinette…can you hear me? Please…” 

Kneeling next to her unconscious form, he pulled her onto his lap, running his fingers along the sides of her face. “Wake up wake up wake up—” 

A crunch echoed next to Chat as the akuma touched down next to him. Its face was shaped in stone, with a grey humanoid body dressed in what looked like a perversion of the classic superhero costume. Its eyes glowed yellow from slits in the rock of its face. 

“Hello, Chat Noir!” it groaned. “I am Earthquaker, and I wish—” 

“I DON’T CARE!” shouted Chat, standing up with Marinette in his arms as he turned to face the akuma. “Can you hear me, Father? I don’t care! Leave me alone, and more importantly, leave Marinette alone.” 

A purple heat signature glowed over the akuma’s face as Hawkmoth gave it new instructions. 

“You didn’t tell me that this akuma would be here!” cried out Chat, continuing his rant as tears welled up in his eyes. He did his best to prop Marinette up into a chair and frantically smoothed her bangs with his gloved hands. “You didn’t tell me it would be at her house!” 

“Chat Noir! It’s your job to help me!” interrupted the akuma, the butterfly gone from its face. “Where is Ladybug?” 

“She’s not here yet,” replied Chat, feeling his breathing hitch. “She’s not here, and Marinette’s really hurt. Call off the attack! De-akumatise this person, father; we can do this later! Father, can you—” 

“I don’t want to be de-akumatized!” crowed the akuma. “Now’s our chance to ruin everyone’s cozy winters and break apart their homes to pieces—” 

“I don’t want that,” he whispered. 

The akuma propped its hands on its stone-hewn hips. “What?” it demanded. 

Chat shook his head, miserable. “Call it off.” He pressed a kiss to Marinette’s temple and lifted her up in his arms again. “Or not. Honestly, I don’t care. You can do whatever you want,” he began, leaning closer to the akuma in hopes that his father would be paying attention. “But you can’t hurt this house. You—you can’t do this!” he called, waving a hand at the wreckage of Marinette’s balcony. 

“What are you saying?” shrieked the akuma. 

“You can’t do this,” Chat murmured again, tears slipping out of his eyes. “And I won’t be participating in this. Not today.” He leapt onto the neighboring rooftop, Marinette still in his arms. 

“Where are you going?” shouted the akuma. 

“To the hospital,” muttered Chat, and he dashed away across the rooftops. 

He felt the cold wind rush past his cheeks, chapping his lips, as he carried Marinette in his arms. “Don’t worry, my love,” he began, not worrying about hiding his identity at all anymore. For all he knew, his father would probably kill him for disobeying him like this once he got back. “I’ll get you to safety soon, my dear Mari.” 

“Uh…” murmured Marinette, as her eyes slowly flickered open. “Cold…” 

“Cold—oh shoot! I should have grabbed your blanket. I’m sorry,” he apologized, pulling Marinette closer to his chest. “Don’t worry, the hospital should be warm, and we’re almost there.” 

“Hosp—what’s going on?” she asked, shaking her head to clear it as her eyes wandered. “My head hurts.” 

“The akuma caused an explosion, and you fell,” Chat explained shakily as he continued to run across rooftops. “I’m taking you to the hospital where you’ll be safe.” 

“Put me down,” demanded Marinette blearily. “The akuma came? Put me down.” 

At that, Chat looked down at Marinette and slowed to a stop. “What? But Marinette—” 

“I don’t want your help. I never asked for it.” She began to struggle in his arms, and he was forced to drop her. As he tried to help her find her footing, Marinette shoved Chat away and held unsteadily to a nearby railing instead. “Get away from me.” 

Chat gazed down at her helplessly. “I—but Princess—” 

“I said GO!” she shouted. “Go fight Ladybug. Just go. There’s no point. Ladybug’s cure will fix me up. Just get out of here.” 

“At least let me drop you off at the hospital,” tried Chat, holding his hands out, palms up, as if trying to coax an angry animal. 

“Don’t touch me. Go! Don’t you understand?” Suddenly, she grabbed Chat’s wrists. His eyes went wide as she pulled him closer so that they were standing chest to chest. “You need to get back, or else your father will hurt you!” she cried, her gaze horrified. She brushed her thumbs against his palms and felt her cheeks warm. “And I don’t think I could ever let that happen.” 

Chat bit his lip nervously. “Your safety is more important.” 

“Not more important than yours. I’m fine. I feel better already. Go back,” Marinette ordered, releasing Chat’s wrists and holding onto the railing of the rooftop. “Go!” 

Wordlessly, Chat took one of Marinette’s hands and kissed the back of it, before giving her a salute and catapulting himself away with his baton. 

Tikki slowly sidled out of her bag. “Marinette—” 

“No time,” Marinette interrupted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Tikki, spots on!” 

\---- 

“Adrien, you will be punished for this. No more activities with that boy Nino. Homeschooling for the next month. Limited time outside of this house. No fencing classes with Kagami. I told you where the akuma was going to be. You should know where your little friend lives better than that. That’s all,” Gabriel said in his low tone, completing his speech while tapping at his iPad. He hadn’t lifted his eyes from it all day. 

Blood pounded in Adrien’s ears, and his bones felt hollow. “Father,” he began, feeling the world blur around him. 

“What do you want, Adrien?” came the cold reply. 

“I’m going to Marinette’s first,” continued Adrien firmly. “I’ll come home and obey all your rules, but I’ve already promised her, and you said I could go earlier today.” 

“I suppose it would be suspicious to cancel so soon after the akuma. Very well,” Gabriel replied, much to Adrien’s shock. “Go ahead.” 

But Adrien lingered. 

At that, Gabriel lifted his head. “What? Why are you still here?” 

“You—you just—” 

“Let you go?” Gabriel asked with a cruel twist of his lips. “You chose to defy me for this Marinette. You refused to help me until you got her to safety. You are not afraid to speak against me to protect her. Therefore, I’m assuming that you wouldn’t be stopped from seeing her. So go ahead. Check on your friend with the pigtails.” 

“ _Girlfriend!_ ” interrupted Adrien angrily, before his eyes widened in surprise at his own interjection. 

Gabriel tilted his head. “You prove my point.” 

“So…you’re…letting me go because you know she’s important to me? Oh, thank you, father, thank you!” Adrien murmured, rushing forward to hug his father before Gabriel’s icy gaze stopped him in his tracks. 

“I’m letting you go so that you can see for yourself that Marinette is fine. That Marinette is safe. That the next time you risk your identity, risk all that I’ve worked for—that we’ve worked for, Adrien, for one person, you’ll be losing more than a few outdoor privileges. Is that understood?” 

“What—what do you mean?” stammered Adrien. 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. “You lose Chat Noir. You lose Plagg.” Gabriel stepped forward, his frame towering over Adrien’s. Although an 18-year-old Adrien had grown rather tall in the past few years, Gabriel’s shadow still engulfed Adrien. “You lose all your freedom.” 

\---- 

“I am Manticore, Ladybug!” shouted the latest akuma. “Look upon me in fear!” 

Ladybug frowned down at her Lucky Charm: a safety pin. “I could just buy this at a drugstore,” she muttered to herself. “Why can’t a get a giant baseball bat for once?” Spinning her yo-yo, she dodged Manticore’s strike, leaping onto an empty café rooftop, and prepared her next attack, scanning the area around her for ideas. 

“My, my, Ladybug,” growled a voice from behind her. “Distracted, aren’t we?” 

A baton smashed into her side, and Ladybug grunted in pain as she flew through the air. Landing against a brick wall, she let out a groan and stumbled to her feet. “Chat…Chat Noir.” 

Chat laughed as he spun his baton in a practiced motion. “Miss me?” 

Ladybug gasped as she struggled to catch her breath. “Not…even…a little…Kitty-cat.” With a smirk, she threw her yo-yo at Chat and managed to catch his baton, pulling it out of his grip and throwing it to the side. 

But Chat didn’t look perturbed. Clenching his empty fists, he grinned at Ladybug with pointed teeth. “Guess it’s time to get a little physical. Good at punches, milady?” He began to circle her, eyes never leaving her gaze. 

“I’ll bet I’m better than you,” hissed Ladybug as she spun her yo-yo, waiting for an opening as they moved around each other. 

Chat winked at her, his fangs curling from his mouth. “I’ll take that bet any day.” 

He lunged at her, claws swiping. Ducking under his hit, Ladybug grabbed his arm and spun him over her hips and onto the ground. Snarling, Chat fought free of her grasp and jackknifed back to his feet. 

“Good hit, little Lady. But let’s see how you react to a real attack.”

Chat’s foot was suddenly entangled with hers, and she felt herself smack onto the rooftop. Furious, she scrambled to her feet and kicked him in the jaw. Blood spurting from his teeth, he grabbed her wrists, and the duo snarled at each other as they wrestled for control. 

“You look extra-angry today, milady,” commented Chat as they struggled, his breath hot on her face. 

“Oh, yeah?” challenged Ladybug. “Gee, I wonder why.” 

“Akuma interrupt a date?” teased Chat. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Jealous much?” 

“I’m sure he’s a real lucky guy,” purred Chat. “But not as lucky as me.” 

Ladybug gritted her teeth. “Just a reminder that jealousy doesn’t win you any admirers.” 

Chat’s eyes flashed as he slammed her against the railing, pinning her arms by her sides. “Trust me, milady, I’ve got too many of those.” 

Ladybug twisted in his arms, struggling to free her hands. “On what planet, Mr. Arrogant?”

Chat smirked, fangs curving over his lips. “Apparently, I’ve got one right here.” He pressed his forehead closer to hers and angled his head to glare down at her. His lips hovered over hers, and his breathing seemed to hitch for a moment. 

Ladybug was frozen to her position; she couldn't pull her gaze away from his. What was going on? 

A voice shouted from the streets. “Go, Ladybug! Kill Chat Noir! Defeat him!” Soon, a tumult of voices of watching Parisians had begun to shout encouragements. Ladybug hesitated, feeling a bit sorry for Chat, but still furious. 

"Defeat Chat! Defeat Chat!" chanted the citizens. 

Chat’s eyes widened in what seemed to be horror, and his grip slipped. 

Ladybug smiled. “I think you might be mistaken,” she hissed at Chat. With a yell, she launched herself out of his grasp and flipped, landing on a rooftop table. Smirking at him, she threw her yo-yo, catching his foot and sending him sprawling. “I’m no fan of yours!” 

Managing to recover, Chat dashed toward her and swiped his claws, but Ladybug ducked under his hit and used his momentum to slam him into a chimney. 

“Guess you’ve lost your silver tongue along with your fighting skills today, chaton,” she taunted, aiming her yo-yo at him as she prepared another strike. 

Chat didn’t seem to want to talk anymore, instead wincing in preparation for her hit. Feeling a bit surprised at his passive response, she struck, her yo-yo spinning across the space between them. Dodging her strike, Chat rolled to his feet, panting, and the two began to circle each other again. 

Chat finally spoke. “Well, you won’t be needing any clever words for that guy of yours, Bug. Your rage goes well enough with the spots.” 

Ladybug groaned. “Don’t you dare make a pun about it being ‘all the rage’.” 

Chat chuckled, a light seeming to come back into his eyes. “Then it’s good that you made the pun for me, isn’t it?” 

Suddenly, Ladybug felt a punch from behind whiz past her face. Before she could react, she had somehow switched places with Chat, and as she watched, the akuma that she had forgotten about was smashing its heavy fist into Chat’s side as he groaned in pain. Frozen in shock, she simply stared as the akuma tossed Chat aside like a rag doll and aimed a punch toward her. The fist seemed to move in slow-motion as it approached her face. She braced herself. 

In the space of a breath, she was flying through the air. Chat had tackled her off of the side of the building, and the two of them were falling to the ground. Ladybug threw her yo-yo to anchor herself to a railing and snatched Chat out of the air, his eyes half-closed. With a flick, she managed to swing the two of them onto a neighboring rooftop and settled Chat into a lounge chair. 

He didn’t move. 

Hovering over him worriedly, she extended a hand to his cheek before retracting it just as quickly. 

“Chat?” she whispered instead. 

His eyes flickered and slowly began to open. “My Lady?” 

She placed her hands around his face, noticing how naturally he seemed to fit there. “Chat…You saved me.” 

His eyes opened more fully, and he took in their surroundings. “Is this…Marinette’s house?” he rasped, his fingers shaking. 

Ladybug shot up from her position. Looking around, she realized Chat was right: it was her house. How had he been able to recognize it so quickly? 

He gave her a half-smile, seemingly a bit unaware of his words. “I’ve been studying…Marinette…” 

Ladybug’s eyes widened. “Wha—What did you say?”

His eyes narrowed in confusion. “I’ve been studying…Marinette’s…house. So…I don’t make another mistake.” 

A huge crash interrupted their conversation, and Ladybug reluctantly backed away. 

“Looks like you have to go,” he whispered, hissing in pain when he tried to sit up. 

“D-Don’t move, Kitty,” Ladybug replied, worried. “I’ll go take care of this akuma and come back for you.” 

Chat chuckled softly. “Don’t bother. Hawkmoth wouldn’t approve. I mean…he wouldn’t approve of any of this.” 

“Will—Will he take care of you?” 

Chat stared at her, saying nothing. 

“He won’t, will he?” realized Ladybug. 

Chat simply closed his eyes. “You’d better get going, Bug.” 

She nodded. “I’ll come back anyway.” Throwing her yo-yo, she jumped into the air and out into the night. 

Chat lay his head back and stared up at the stars. 

When Ladybug returned, he was gone. 

\-----

“Tikki, what should I do?” 

Marinette paced around her room. Three steps, turn. Three steps, turn. Arm flail. She really did have her freak-outs down to a science. 

Tikki executed a flip in the air. “Honestly, Marinette, I don’t know. All I can tell you is that the black cat and ladybug miraculouses are drawn to each other and always will be.” 

Marinette sighed. “He’s doing a pretty good job of resisting that pull.” 

“Is he?” replied Tikki, perching on Marinette’s shoulder. “He saved you that other day—twice!” 

“Both as Marinette and as Ladybug,” acquiesced Marinette. 

“And it seems as if he’s in love with you!” chirped Tikki with a wide grin. “He almost let you figure out his identity!” 

Marinette frowned. “That’s what I don’t get. Adrien said maybe he just doesn’t have many friends, but I’m not so sure.” 

“Either way, you can use it to your advantage. Keep talking to him as Marinette, and maybe try to meet up with him as Ladybug. You two have never really talked about the whole situation. All you have are conversations together while you’re fighting, right?” 

Marinette nodded, resolute. “Right. So all I have to do…” 

“Is get that cat to talk!” chorused Marinette and Tikki together. 

\---- 

That night, Marinette set up her balcony to be as welcoming as possible. She strung up fairy lights, dragged in more potted plants, and heaped blankets into a pile next to two lounge chairs. She made two mugs of hot chocolate and added marshmellows. She even set up a few candles, ready to be lit in case they needed more light. 

Wrapping herself in one of the blankets and sipping on the hot chocolate, she sank into her chair and waited. Every night for the next week, she performed the little ritual, eyes always on the horizon for a black-dressed figure. 

He never showed. 

\---- 

One night, as she did this, Adrien called. “Marinette, beautiful, what’s up?” 

“Hey,” she panted into the phone, hauling a larger chair to the rooftop as she propped the phone against her shoulder. “I’m good, how…are…you?” 

“What are you doing? You sound like you’re carrying an elephant.” 

Marinette giggled. “No, silly. I’m just dragging a chair up to my rooftop. I’m starting to hang out there more often—I’d forgotten how much I liked it.” 

“The rooftop, huh?” he asked, his voice distorting over the phone so Marinette couldn’t read his tone. 

“Y-Yeah,” she admitted. “I mean…” 

“Well, I don’t want to bother you, then,” he interrupted, his voice suddenly cheerful. “I just wanted to wish you good night.” 

Marinette paused in her furniture moving and adjusted the phone against her ear. “Oh, Adrien, is everything all right? When’s your father going to let you be free and come back to school again? Or see me?” 

Adrien sighed into the phone. “I—I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Marinette, for putting you through all this.” 

Marinette smiled. “Anything for you.” 

“’Night, Mari.” 

“Night, Adrien.” 

Marinette hung up the call and planting her feet, continued to drag the chair across her rooftop. If she was going to wait for Chat all night, then she’d at least be comfortable. Gnashing her teeth, she yanked the massive chair one step closer to its destination. 

“Doing a bit of redecorating?” 

Marinette shrieked and dropped the chair with a thud. Whirling around, she came face-to-face with a green-eyed, smirking superhero. “Chat Noir!” 

He was perched on her balcony railing as he had been the last time he had come. “Marinette.” 

“What—what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to sound as unassuming as possible. 

He adjusted his position on the railing, lying down on top of it with his green eyes facing the sky. “Well, I heard the sound of a thousand elephants walking across your balcony, so…” 

Marinette crossed her arms, forgetting all her plans. “That’s mean. If you’re going to be rude, then you won’t get hot chocolate.” 

Chat’s ears lifted up like a real cat’s. “Hot chocolate?”

Stifling a giggle at his cat-like pose, Marinette nodded. “You like it?” 

He nodded emphatically. “Love it.” 

“Then come on over and I’ll get you some.” 

Chat still hesitated. “No catch?” 

Marinette dropped her gaze. “I know that last time you were here, I wasn’t very…welcoming to you.” 

He held out his hands, seeming frantic. “No, no! That’s not your fault. It’s just…well…I know you have no reason to trust me.” 

Marinette’s head lifted. “No reason to trust you? I almost took off your ring and you still tried to take me to the hospital! If nothing else, I owe you. You tried to keep me safe.” 

“’Tried’ being the operative word here,” he muttered. “You got hurt anyway.” 

Marinette extended a hand with a mug toward him. “Chaaat, come on.” 

He sighed and dropped onto her balcony. “Well, I suppose if you insist.” Taking the mug, he took a sip. 

“Do those fangs get in the way?” she asked, gesturing vaguely toward his face as she watched him drink. 

Chat’s eyes glinted as he deposited the mug on the table. “Why? Are you obsessed with my ravishing good looks, Mari?” He walked over to her where she’d sat down and placed his hands on either side of her chair. “Or do you just want to get a better view?” 

Marinette felt a blush grow on her cheeks. Furiously trying to hide her face, she ducked her head toward her mug of hot chocolate and took a slow sip. Chat watched her with a growing smile spreading across his face. 

Carefully reaching to drop her mug onto the table, she managed to meet Chat’s eyes and smirk defiantly back. “I suppose a good way to get a better view would be to get closer.” 

He leaned in. “I suppose it would.” 

“But I suppose there are better ways.” She toyed with the bell on his costume. “Is this a zipper?” She tugged at it lightly, and sure enough, it began to unzip. 

Chat immediately reddened. This was definitely on the list of very forbidden fantasies. “Uh…well…I—” 

Releasing the bell, Marinette threw back her head and laughed. “You’re way too easy to tease.” 

Chat chuckled, too, and shifted to sit down on the chair next to hers. “Well, you have way too much fun teasing me.” 

Marinette shook her head. “No, but really. You run around Paris all dressed in leather and talking a big game, but you’re really just an innocent boy, aren’t you?” 

Chat placed his arms behind his head. “I’ve had some fun.” 

Marinette snickered. “Sure you have.” 

Chat gave her a quick glance. “Really, it’s true. In fact,” he continued, with a little secret smile. “I actually have a girlfriend.” 

Marinette’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What? You do?” 

Chat nodded, his fangs flashing as he grinned. “Yep.” 

She sat up more fully. “Hold on—does she know you’re here?” 

Chat’s face scrunched up as he thought. “Well…technically yes but also no.” 

Marinette rubbed at her forehead in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense.” 

“She kind of knows?” attempted Chat again. 

“What kind of answer is that?” replied Marinette. 

He sighed, the leather of his gloves creasing as he massaged his forehead. “Honestly, I have no clue anymore.” 

“But—but you—” sputtered Marinette. 

Chat turned more fully to face her, a half-smile lingering on his face. “But I what? Talk to you?” he challenged. 

Marinette flushed. 

Chat’s lips curled up into a teasing grin as he tilted his head toward Marinette like the annoying cat he was. “Are you jeaaalous?” 

Marinette crossed her arms angrily. “What—no—I—it’s just that—You flirt with me, you big flirt! All the time…d-don’t you?” 

Chat only continued to smile. 

Marinette threw up her hands angrily. “You flirt with everyone, then, is that it? You flirt with me, with Ladybug, with your ‘girlfriend’…” Marinette used air quotes as she said the word “girlfriend”. 

Chat sat up, too. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, now, don’t be mean to my girlfriend. She’s great,” he argued, a big grin still splitting across his face. 

Marinette dropped her face into her hands. “Whatever.” 

“And what was that about Ladybug? Do I flirt with her?” 

At that, Marinette looked up. “Yeah,” she challenged, her blue eyes bright. “You do. Do you like her?” 

Chat waved his arms around wildly. “I just told you that I have a girlfriend!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes, shifting her position on her chair. “Oh, c’mon, Chat, everyone can see it,” she replied, fibbing a little bit. “You even saved her life that one time!” 

“That—that was an accident,” stammered Chat, his ears drooping a little bit. “No one was supposed to know,” he whispered. 

“No one was supposed to know?” Marinette paused. “Did—did you get in trouble?” she asked softly. 

Chat closed his eyes briefly. “Yes.” 

“Oh, Kitty…” Marinette reached out and brushed his arm with her hand. 

“I’m in even more trouble now than I was in before,” added Chat. 

“Before?” echoed Mari. 

“Before—when I helped you.” 

Marinette felt a massive pit of guilt open up in her stomach. “I—I’m so sorry!” 

“No, no!” protested Chat, squeezing her hand back before dropping it quickly. “It’s not your fault at all. I’m glad you ended up okay. Honestly, I didn’t even help that much.” 

“That’s not true,” murmured Marinette, her voice low but thrumming with emotion. “That’s not true at all. You’re—you’re a hero.” 

Chat looked up, a bit surprised. “Thank you.” 

Marinette hesitated. “But you know, you could become a hero more officially.” 

Chat laughed darkly, flopping down again. “Here we go again. Marinette, you know what happens if I help, even a little bit. Turning against my father officially—there’s no way!” 

“You should at least talk to Ladybug. Maybe she can help you. Maybe you can stay…with me.” Wait, where did that come from? 

Chat seemed surprised, too. “And your _boyfriend_ will be okay with that?” 

Marinette felt another twinge of guilt, but this time for a completely different person. “Yes, he’s a great person, but—Well, if it’s not safe, we won’t have to tell him, I guess.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like to lie at all, but if it’s necessary for your safety…” 

Chat groaned. “Marinette, there’s no point.” 

“At least talk to Ladybug. She actually…well, she ran into me the other day when she was patrolling the streets. She, uh, said she was sorry about how I always keep getting into akuma attacks or fights with you, but she said that she just wanted to talk to you. She told me to tell you, if I ever saw you, that you should leave a note with me for when you might be free and to meet her at the Eiffel Tower at that time.” 

Chat raised his eyebrows. “Does she come by here often?” 

Marinette hesitated. “She’s been coming by more and more ever since that attack.” 

Chat sat up straight. “Does that mean she might come here tonight?” 

Marinette held out her hands nervously. “No, no! Today’s not one of her usual days.” 

Chat narrowed her eyes. “A meeting with her.” 

“Yes. A—what’s it called? A parley.” 

Chat raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

Marinette fumbled for the right words. “Like a peaceful thing. No one attacks the other one. We—you two just talk.” 

Chat frowned as he thought. “Like what we’re doing now,” he finally replied. 

Marinette nodded. “I suppose…like this.” Exactly like this, she thought to herself. Except I’ll be wearing spots. 

“I’ll think about it.”


End file.
